$293M Douglas College expansion with student housing coming to New Westminster

$293 million Douglas College expansion with student housing to be built in New Westminster

Artistic rendering of the new Douglas College student housing and academic building at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. (Stantec Architecture/Douglas College)

Plans to provide Douglas College with its first on-campus student housing complex are moving forward as part of an expansion of its campus in downtown New Westminster.

The provincial government confirmed the project today, which is slated to replace the post-secondary institution’s parking lot at 808 Royal Avenue — immediately west of the existing campus, and just a five-minute walk from SkyTrain New Westminster Station.

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This will be a new 20-storey building containing 368 student beds in both private and traditional communal student residence layouts, along with an attached 11-storey academic space expansion of over 200,000 sq ft with over 30 classrooms, six computer labs, study and leisure spaces, and faculty and staff offices. The student residence will be built over the academic space.

There will also be supportive uses such as food services for student residents, community kitchens, a convenience store, and potentially an expansion of the on-campus childcare facility.

Douglas College 808 Royal Avenue New Westminster

Site of the Douglas College expansion at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. (Douglas College)

Existing condition of the site:

Artistic rendering of the new Douglas College student housing and academic building at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster.

Existing condition of the surface parking lot at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. (Google Maps)

Future condition of the site:

douglas college student housing 808 royal avenue new westminster

Artistic rendering of the new Douglas College student housing and academic building at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. (Stantec Architecture/Douglas College)

Through its years-long province-wide strategy of catalyzing more student housing, the provincial government is covering $202 million of the $293 million project, with $74 million of the provincial funding going towards the academic space and $128 million towards the student housing. Douglas College will cover the remainder of the cost of over $90 million.

By building purpose-built student housing, this will provide not only affordable housing for students, but also provide relief to the rental housing market for workers and families by removing a segment of the demand generated by students.

It is also expected to provide this peripheral area of downtown New Westminster with urban renewal and activity.

Artistic rendering of the new Douglas College student housing and academic building at 808 Royal Avenue, New Westminster. (Stantec Architecture/Douglas College)

Construction is expected to begin in Summer 2023 for a completion in Summer 2026, just in time for the 2026/27 school year.

“Students at Douglas College have told us everything we need to hear. They need access to affordable housing so they don’t have the barrier of long commutes and expensive rent,” said Anne Kang, BC minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training, in a statement.

“I’m incredibly excited by this project and historical investment by our government. We’re going to change lives, both at Douglas College and in New Westminster.”

Designed by Stantec Architecture, the building will feature two landscaped rooftop amenity areas, and be built to a LEED Gold and BC Energy Step Code 4 and zero carbon green building certifications.

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